Pattern control mechanisms for knitting machines

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to the pattern control mechanisms of knitting machines, particularly circular knitting machines. According to the invention a rocking selector for engagement with pattern butts is mounted for rocking action about an axis parallel with but spaced from the plane of the path of the pattern butts, to move an operating part of the selector between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions, the spacing being such that rocking motion of the selector imparts an essentially short rectilinear motion to an operative part of the selector, which motion is essentially in the plane of the path of the butts. The rocking axis may be inclined to or parallel with the instantaneous path of the butts at the instant of engagement with the operative part when the latter is in butt-engaging position.

United States Patent [1 1 Widdowson et al.

[ 1 Jan. 9, 1973 [54] PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISMS FOR KNITTING MACHINES [73] Assignee: Wildt Mellor Bromley Limited, Le-

icester, England [22] Filed: Oct. 7, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 78,866

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,550,398 12/1970 Widdowson ..66/50R 3,263,453 8/1966 Carrotte et al ..66/50 R 2,194,485 3/1940 Steinmueller ..66/36 B 2,264,977 12/ l941 Houseman ..66/50 B X Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds Attorney-Irving M. Weiner [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to the pattern control mechanisms of knitting machines, particularly circular knitting machines. According to the invention a rocking selector for engagement with pattern butts is mounted for rocking action about an axis parallel with but spaced from the plane of the path of the pattern butts, to move an operating part of the selector between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions, the spacing being such that rocking motion of the selector imparts an essentially short rectilinear motion to an operative part of the selector, which motion is essentially in the plane of the path of the butts. The rocking axis may be inclined to or parallel with the instantaneone path of the butts at the instant of engagement with the operative part when the latter is in butt-engaging position.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 9 I973 3,709,003

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ATTORNEY PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISMS FOR KNITTING MACHINES This invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly to pattern control arrangements for knitting machines.

While the invention will be particularly described with reference to multi-feed circular knitting machines of the type in which the needle cylinder rotates within a stationary cam box, it will be appreciated that the basic teaching of the invention is applicable to circular knitting machines with a stationary needle cylinder and a rotating cam box, and also to knitting machines of the flat bed type.

In general, knitting machines include a number of needles which sequentially enter each yarn feed zone and means are provided to pre-select the position of each needle as it enters the yarn feed zone so that it will knit, make a tuck stitch or miss taking the yarn which will then float across the needle without forming a stitch. The needles may be positioned by means of butts formed on or associated with the needles and which cooperate with selectors adapted to be reciprocated between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions. Generally if a selector is in butt-engaging position, the needle or an associated jack is depressed into the needle trick or groove so that the needle is not moved by the cam or a combination of earns, out of the miss (normal retracted) position into either the tuck or knit position.

This invention relates primarily to the arrangement of the selectors and while it is described in the context ofuse with pattern control arrangements as described and claimed in co-pending application Ser. No. 813548, now abandoned, it will be appreciated that its use is not confined to those particular pattern control arrangements.

In some forms of pattern mechanism, selectors have been moved in and out of the plane of the butts to engage and miss the butts and this necessitates a considerable spacing between the butt planes.

The invention consists in a pattern unit for a knitting machine, comprising a plurality of selectors individually movable in or out of butt-engaging position, in which each selector is rockable on an axis substantially parallel with the instantaneous path of the associated butts past the selectors and has an operating part located substantially in the plane of the path of the associated butts and sufficiently spaced from the rocking axis whereby rocking of the selector about the axis to movethe operating part between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions gives rise to an essentially short rectilinear motion of the operating part in the plane of the path of the associated butts and at right angles to the path of the associated butts.

The invention further consists in a pattern unit for a knitting machine, comprising a plurality of selectors individually movable in or out of butt-engaging position, in which each selector is rockable on an axis in a plane parallel with and spaced from the plane of the path of the associated butts, and each selector has an operating part located substantially in the plane of the path of the associated butts and sufficiently spaced from the rocking axis that rocking of the selector about the rocking axis gives rise to a movement of the operating part which is essentially a short rectilinear movement in the plane of the path of the associated butts, between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions.

In one form of the invention, the selectors may be carried on spaced parallel shafts at axially spaced locations and some or requirement all of the selectors may be cranked to bring the operating parts into alignment.

The arrangement of the operating parts so that they move in the planes of the butts gives rise to a small reguirement for spacing between the butts.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings of preferred embodiments, given by way of example only and not by way of limitation.

FIG. I is a horizontal section, on line 1-1 of FIG. 2, part of a circular weft knitting machine, showing a pattern unit according to one embodiment of the inventron;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation on the arrow III of FIG. 2, of the pattern unit;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevation on the arrow V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view on the arrow VI of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section, similar to FIG. 1, showing a modified form of the invention.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show part of a needle cylinder 1 of a circular knitting machine. A head wheel 2 of the cylinder is driven by a drive gear 3 so as to rotate the cylinder I with respect to a body 4. In conventional manner, the body supports a jack raising cam 5,'which is stationary and a stationary cam box 6 which includes cams 7 of a conventional nature, the operation of which need not be described in detail. The cylinder 1 carries, in conventional manner, tricks 8 (omitted from FIG. 1 for clarity of illustration in view of the large number of them) in which jacks 9 are reciprocable. Each jack 9 is associated with a needle 10 which it sup ports by means of a butt 11, and each jack has a lifting butt 12 which is urged by the inherent resilience of the jack into an outer position for engagement with the jack raising cam 5 and is arranged to be selectively held in the depressed position within the trick 8 by means of a rocking presser l3.

Each of the rocking pressers is pivoted on a fulcrum I4 carried on a fulcrum ring 15. The lower ends of the rocking pressers bear on the jacks 9 and the upper ends of them include a surface 16 for engaging with a cam 17 to bring the upper ends into engagement with a permanent magnet 18 mounted on a cam box support 19 above a pattern unit 20. Above the fulcrum 14, each 'presser is'. also provided with one butt 21, which is located at one of six levels for co-operation with a selected one of six selectors 22 forming part of the pattern unit 20.

As the cylinder rotates, the pressers 13 are shifted into engagement with the permanent magnet 18 by means of the cam 17 and this has the effect of pressing the lower ends of the jacks, with the butts 12, into the tricks 8. Selected ones of the pressers are released from the permanent magnet by engagement of their butts 21 with the selector levers 22 and the corresponding jacks are thus released so that their butts 12 move outwards into a position for engaging with the jack raising cam 5 to lift the needles into knitting position. The nonselected pressers 13 remain in contact with the permanent magnet 18 for sufficiently long to keep the butts 12 on their corresponding jacks 9 within the trick so that they pass behind the jack raising cam as illustrated in FIG. 2, in a so-called miss position. It can be seen from FIG. 1 that some of the pressers 13 behind the cam 17 are still in engagement with the permanent magnet 18 while others, indicated at 13a have been pushed away from the permanent magnet.

The selectors 22 are electro-magnetically controlled by signals passed through a cable 25 from a control box 26. The ultimate source of the control signals is generally a pattern band, tape or the like and a typical source of appropriate signals is described and shown in the complete specification of co-pending Application Ser. No. 813548.

The present invention is directed-primarily to improvements in the pattern unit itself, and this will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

The pattern unit illustrated is one comprising six selectors, each individually controlled, and while the number six is chosen for convenience, it will be under'stood that the invention is applicable to arrangements comprising different numbers of selectors. It will be seen that the unit 20 is suspended from the. cam box support plate 19, and is arranged so that the selectors come intoengagement or otherwise with the butts 21 while the upper ends of the pressers 13 are in engage ment with the permanent magnet 18.

It can be seen that each selector 22 is mounted for solid rocking action with a horizontal shaft 27, and that the six shafts 27 are-parallel with each other in a common vertical plane which is parallel with the instantaneous path of movement of the butts 21 in the region of the selectors. Each selector 22 has an operating tip 28 projecting from the top of the selector and having a camming face for engagement with a butt 2] when the selector is appropriately positioned. It will be noted that all but one of the selectors 22 are cranked or bent forming a generally L-shape so that the tips 28, which are located on one end of one leg of each L-shaped selector, are, as seen in FIG. 5, arranged on a vertical line so that selection always takes place at the same rotational location for each needle.

I It can be seen that the selectors 22 each extend substantially vertically upwards from their shafts 27 by effectively the same distance, and that this distance is sufficiently great for the movement of the tip resulting from a small operative rocking motion of the shaft 27 to .be effectively wholly in the horizontal plane of the path of the butt 2] with which thetip co-operates.

The shafts 27 are rocked by means of rocker arms 29 (see in particular FIG. 4) which pass through actuating coils 30 through which control pulses from the cable 25 are appropriately routed. One end of each rocker arm 29 is solid. with the appropriate shaft 27, and the opposite end is free to reciprocate between pole pieces 31 associated with permanent magnets 32. When a pulse is received in one of the coils 30, the effect is to set up a magnetic field and the free end of the rocker arm'29 is then either further attracted to the pole piece with which it is in contact, or it is repelled therefrom and attracted to theopposite pole piece, depending on the direction of the pulse. The pole pieces have the action of retaining the rockers in the position to which the pulses in the coils 30 set them. I

If the rocker is against the lower pole piece, then the shaft 28 is turned counter-clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 4, and the selector and its operating tip 28 will be retracted away from the butts into a butt-missing position. 1 Refer to US. Pat. No. 3,550,398 for a more detailed description. On the other hand, if the rocker is in its upper position then the tip 28 will be in butt-engaging position and a presser with a butt at the appropriate level will be moved away from its permanent magnet 18 as the butt moves against the camming face of the tip 28. It is to be understood that the selectors are located in the butt-engaging or butt-missing position in advance of the arrival of the butt to be controlled.

It will be seen that in the arrangement just described above with the axis of the shaft 27 parallel with the instantaneous path of movement of the butt 21, the input between the butt 21 and the operating tip 28 has to be wholly reacted by the permanent magnet 32 holding the selector in position. By mounting the pattern unit 20 in an oblique position as shown in FIG. 7, the shaft 27 is inclined to the instantaneous path of the butt 2] and a significant componentof the input is absorbed or reacted by the bearings 33 of the shaft 27. In addition, it is to be seen from FIG. 7 that the cranking of the selectors 22 is'such as to align them with the part of the unit 20 nearest to the needle cylinder. Also, the operating parts of the selectors 22 are not separate tips, but are integral noses 28a, which also have camming faces and operate in the same manner as the tips 28.

Various other modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

We claim:

l. in a pattern unit for a knitting machine having a plurality of needles, a pattern butt associated with each needle,'thc pattern butts being divided into a plurality of groups arranged in common planes, the pattern unit comprising a plurality of selectors each associated with one group'of pattern butts and movable between buttengaging and butt-missing positions, wherein the improvement comprises: a pluralityof spaced apart parallel horizontal shafts disposed in a common vertical plane which is parallel to the instantaneous path of said butts in the region of said selectors, said shafts being adapted for rotation about their longitudinal axes, said selectors being generally L-shaped each having a tip on one end of one leg and affixed at the end of the other leg to one of said shafts for movement therewith, said tips being arranged in a common vertical center line in a plane substantially parallel to said plane containing said shafts, said tips being adapted to engage different ment is essentially a rectilinear motion parallel to the.

movement of said needles in their tricks, said movement causes said shaft to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and imparts a movement to said selector tip which is substantially normal to the movement of said needles in their tricks and substantially coplanar with the movement of the butts.

2. A pattern unit as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that each of said selectors extends substantially vertically upward from its associated shaft by effectively the same distance, and said distance is sufficiently large for the movement of said tip resulting from said movement of said rocker arm to be effectively in a horizontal plane of a group of butts with which it is adapted to engage.

3. A pattern unit as defined in claim 2 wherein said rocker shafts are spaced apart in the direction of movement of said needles in their tricks.

4. A pattern unit for a knitting machine having a plurality of needles, a pattern butt associated with each needle, the pattern butts being divided into a plurality of groups arranged in common planes, the pattern unit comprising a plurality of selectors each associated with one group of pattern butts and movable between buttengaging and butt-missing positions, wherein the improvement comprises: a plurality of spaced apart parallel horizontal shafts disposed in a common vertical plane which is inclined at an acute angle to the instantaneous path of movement of said butts in the region of said selectors, said shafts ,being adapted for rotation about their longitudinal axes, said selectors being generally L-shaped each having a tip on one end of one leg and affixed at the end of the other leg to one of said shafts for movement therewith, said tips being arranged in a common vertical center line in a plane substantially parallel to said plane containing said shafts, said tips being adapted to engage different groups of said pattern butts, a plurality of vertically spaced apart rocker arms each affixed at one end to one of said shafts and extending substantially horizontally away from said shafts, the opposite end of each said rocker arm being a distance away from its associated shaft sufficient to insure that when movement is imparted to said rocker arm to move the shaft which in turn moves the associated selector tip between said butt-missing and butt-engaging positions said movement is essentially a rectilinear motion parallel to the movement of said needles in their tricks, said movement causes said shaft to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and imparts a movement to said selector tip which is substantially normal to the movement of the needles in their tricks and substantially coplanar with the movement of the butts. 

1. In a pattern unit for a knitting machine having a plurality of needles, a pattern butt associated with each needle, the pattern butts being divided into a plurality of groups arranged in common planes, the pattern unit comprising a plurality of selectors each associated with one group of pattern butts and movable between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions, wherein the improvement comprises: a plurality of spaced apart parallel horizontal shafts disposed in a common vertical plane which is parallel to the instantaneous path of said butts in the region of said selectors, said shafts being adapted for rotation about their longitudinal axes, said selectors being generally L-shaped each having a tip on one end of one leg and affixed at the end of the other leg to one of said shafts for movement therewith, said tips being arranged in a common vertical center line in a plane substantially parallel to said plane containing said shafts, said tips being adapted to engage different groups of said pattern butts, a plurality of vertically spaced apart rocker arms each affixed at one end to one of said shafts and extending substantially horizontally away from said shafts, the opposite end of each said rocker arm being a distance away from its associated shaft sufficient to insure that when movement is imparted to said rocker arm to move the shaft which in turn moves the associated selector tip between said butt-missing and buttengaging positions said movement is essentially a rectilinear motion parallel to the movement of said needles in their tricks, said movement causes said shaft to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and imparts a movement to said selector tip which is substantially normal to the movement of said needles in their tricks and substantially coplanar with the movement of the butts.
 2. A pattern unit as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that each of said selectors extends substantially vertically upward from its associated shaft by effectively the same distance, and said distance is sufficiently large for the movement of said tip resulting from said movement of said rocker arm to be effectively in a horizontal plane of a group of butts with which it is adapted to engage.
 3. A pattern unit as defined in claim 2 wherein said rocker shafts are spaced apart in the direction of movement of said needles in their tricks.
 4. A pattern unit for a knitting machine having a plurality of needles, a pattern butt associated with each needle, the pattern butts being divided into a plurality of groups arranged in common planes, the pattern unit comprising a plurality of selectors each associated with one group of pattern butts and movable between butt-engaging and butt-missing positions, wherein the imprOvement comprises: a plurality of spaced apart parallel horizontal shafts disposed in a common vertical plane which is inclined at an acute angle to the instantaneous path of movement of said butts in the region of said selectors, said shafts being adapted for rotation about their longitudinal axes, said selectors being generally L-shaped each having a tip on one end of one leg and affixed at the end of the other leg to one of said shafts for movement therewith, said tips being arranged in a common vertical center line in a plane substantially parallel to said plane containing said shafts, said tips being adapted to engage different groups of said pattern butts, a plurality of vertically spaced apart rocker arms each affixed at one end to one of said shafts and extending substantially horizontally away from said shafts, the opposite end of each said rocker arm being a distance away from its associated shaft sufficient to insure that when movement is imparted to said rocker arm to move the shaft which in turn moves the associated selector tip between said butt-missing and butt-engaging positions said movement is essentially a rectilinear motion parallel to the movement of said needles in their tricks, said movement causes said shaft to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and imparts a movement to said selector tip which is substantially normal to the movement of the needles in their tricks and substantially coplanar with the movement of the butts. 